The new vintage of Rugiens (Haut) is a generous, almost fleshy wine with an ample, ripe plum fruit with earth, smoke, and clove accents. The texture is firm yet supple, with abundant extract, silky but supportive tannins, and impressive length. The grapes come from just over a hectare of vines at mid-slope where the soil changes from white marl to red clay. The wine should begin to open in five to seven years and will drink for 30 beyond that at a minimum. Drinking window: 2030-2085. Score - 95. (Charles Curtis, MW, decanter.com, Jan. 22, 2024)

A beautifully layered nose of purple fruit, violets and soil tones leads to exceptionally rich, velvety and sappy medium weight plus flavors that brim with dry extract that does a fine job of buffering the very firm but not hard tannic spine on the dusty and mocha-infused finish. This is a highly complex and robust but reasonably refined and well-balanced Epenots that is built for the long haul. Drink: 2025+. Outstanding. Score - 93. (Allen Meadows, burghound.com, April 15, 2013)

At more than a decade, this wine is still shockingly youthful; given the vintage, it is surprisingly robust. There is a ripe plummy fruit here with hints of thyme and a touch of lavender that is very engaging. The texture is dense but not astringent, with more body than one would expect from 2011. The grapes were given a cold soak and then fermented entirely as whole clusters. Post-fermentation, the wine aged for nearly two years in cask (one-third new). Drinking window: 2022-2050. Score - 95. (Charles Curtis, MW, decanter.com, Dec. 14, 2022)

Showing admirably, with a plummy, forward fruit aroma that offers hints of spice, earth and black tea. The tannins are starting to settle down, yet there is no lack of structure or length. The finish is impressive, with floral notes giving expressive complexity to the dark fruit. The purity of fruit is doubtless down to the rigorous sorting at this domaine. Drinking now and should continue for at least another decade. Drinking window: 2024-2045. Score - 95. (Charles Curtis, MW, decanter.com, April 21, 2024)

The 2022 Epenots from Courcel is a powerful yet very expressive wine. The colour is deep, the abundant fruit aromas are open and aromatic, and the wine is endowed with massive extract and tannin. On the day, I wrote 'everything ++'. The enchanting plum and currant aromas have great complexity, with hints of earth, leather, spice, and blood. The feel of the wine today is massive. It might well close down, but with five to seven years in the bottle, this should be an extraordinary wine that will live for decades. Drinking window: 2030-2085. Score - 97. (Charles Curtis, MW, decanter.com, Jan. 22, 2024)

There is no other way to say it: this is a monster of a wine in the context of 2004 and there is no point in even thinking about opening one of these babies for at least a dozen years. Much like the Fremiers, this is aromatically pure but cool, tight and very backward, leading to exceptionally rich yet detailed full-bodied flavors that explode on the hugely long finish. This is one of those 'wow' wines and it wouldn't surprise me if it eventually merited a higher score as it is blessed with superb material, impeccable balance and striking length. In short, if you're going to buy it, put it in the cellar and forget it. Drink: 2018+. Outstanding. Score - 93. (Allen Meadows, burghound.com, April 1, 2007)

This year, the Fremiers from Courcel is an explosion of fruit, with bright blackberry and cassis aromas edged with pepper and bay leaf. The texture is velvety and dense, with ripe, supple tannins and impressive length. The 0.79-hectare parcel lies in fairly deep clay soils just south of Croix Noires. This wine is a classic of the domaine, made with a whole cluster ferment and very little new oak. The wine should open in three to five years and will drink for the next 20. Drinking window: 2030-2065. Score - 94. (Charles Curtis, MW, decanter.com, May 29, 2023)